Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday the dog’s owner had been away for two weeks and had left her pet with a friend.

Prosecutor Martin Haigh said when she collected her animal she noticed that it was having trouble urinating and developed a rash on its face and between its legs.

When the owner asked what had happened her friend told her that Cullen had had sex with the female dog.

Cullen was confronted about the incident and admitted that he had held the dog down by the head while he had sex with her.

The court heard that Cullen apologised to the dog owner and called the police himself.

Cullen formally entered a guilty plea to the charge of having intercourse with an animal yesterday after his barrister, Ken Green, confirmed that he was fit to plead and understood the nature of the charge.

Mr Haigh said one witness in the case had apparently seen the defendant shortly after the incident happened pulling up his trousers.

When Cullen was interviewed by police he admitted that it was all true.

The court heard that Cullen’s only previous conviction was for a shoplifting offence.

Judge Peter Benson said he had read psychiatric reports about Cullen and was satisfied that he suffered from a mental disorder and that it was appropriate for him to be detained in a hospital unit in Wakefield for treatment.

The judge told Cullen he would not be released into the community until his medical supervisors or the Mental Health Tribunal decided it was appropriate.